Means for sterilizing and preserving alimentary products.



C. JOVIGNOT.

MEANS FOR STERILIZING AND PRESERVING ALIMENTARY PRODUCTS.

APPLlCATION FILED JAN. 9, 19I4.

1,183,986 Patented 23,1916.

4 SH -SHEET I.

WIT/VEcS-SL SZ WM? #bayw'm w m ATIY C. JOVIGNOT.

MEANS 1 0R STERILIZING AND PRESERVING ALIMENTARY PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,19'14.

1,183,986. I Patented May 23, 1916.

SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNEsJ-S/ I //vvFNTb'/" W W i 5%% J/lar? flint-n04 W c. JOVIGNOT.

MEANS FOR STERILIZING AND PRESERVING ALIMENTARY PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-9.1914.

1,183,986. Patented May 2 16.

4 SHEETS-SH C. JOVIGNO'I.

MEANS FOR STERILIZING AND PRESERVING ALIMENTARY PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 49M.

Patented May 23, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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vices for sterilizing and preserving alimen CHARLES JovIeno-r, or rams FRA CE;

MEANS r012. .s'rrmrmzma AND runs-Esme. ALiMEN'rARY PRoDUou's. j

Specification a lettersra'tent. Patented jgg,

Application filed January 9, 1914. Serial No. 811,156.

To all whom it may concerns Be it known that I, CHARLES J oVIGNo'r,

citizen of the Republic of=.France, residingat 23 and 25 'Avenue de Chatillon, Paris, in

the Republic of France, have invented new I and useful Improvements in Means' for sterilizing and Preserving Alimentary Products, of which the following. is a specification. This inventionrelates to improved detary products.

The industrial methods employed for pieserving alimentary products comprise the a vacuum. The first of'tliese methods gives rise to differences of pressure which. are

--ucts the flavor peculiar to preserves.

process of sterilization in a closed vessel and thel'process of sterilization by means of frequently considerable between, the inte-' rior and the exterior of the receptacle, thereby entailing numerous-well known incon- Veniences; moreover, it necessitates high temperaturesin order to sterilize the contents of the receptacle throughout their entire mass and it inevitably imparts to the profilsecond method or vacuum method consists in producin a vacuum prior to or during the steriliza ion. This method permitstof efl'ecting the sterilization at lower temperatures but it necessitates delicate and costly manipulations and frequently expensive ap paratus in particular because the means hitherto availa ble do not permit of obtaining a vacuum'automatically, in metal boxes. Moreover, in this second method, at least in the case of tin cans or boxes thetreatment ends in a sterilization in a closed} vessel which'also imparts. to the products the flavor peculiar to preserves which it is "de:

sirable to avoid. The way in which the device which forms the object of the present lnventlon is used obviates these various 1n conveniences.

It consistsin leaving the-interior offthe receptacle containing. the product to .be

sterilized in communication with the exterior through afiltering joint whichpre vents the product from issuing-from the receptacle, but afl'ords a passage for the a1r, gases and vapors; in immersing the receptacle thus prepared in air or steam at the sterilization temperatureso as to produce 7 sterilization, then in allowing the said recepta'cle to cool slowly in atmospheric air or in an inert gas; the c'ommunlcation with the exterior through the filtering joint can then" be obturated if desired in such a manner as to close the -receptacle.hermetically.

By means of this process the gases and-ya 4 pors formed -in- .the receptacle'durin'g the g ',StBI.1l1;Za.t1OI1, can escape freely "and the air.

orsteamforming the sterilizationatmos- 1 product. The 'resultis that equilibrium oftemperature 'betweenthis. atmosphere and the product is produced almost instahtan'e:

ously so that it is no longernecessary towith solid products such'as meats.

Another advantage resides in the factthat it is no-longer necessary to close the'receptacle hermetically immediately after the.

sterilization because owing. to the fact that. the .joint employed affords 'a passage for the gases and-simultaneously exerts a filtering I. action upon them, the .air'which is allowed to enter the 'receptacle after the-sterilization will bev filtered. This air can however be replaced by an-inert gas such as nitrogen. Various devices for carrying-the novel phere can come into direct contact with the as has hitherto-been the case, inparticular method intopfactice are illustrated way of example in the accompanying. drawing, in

Figure 1 is a'section 0f a-dish with a china cover provided-with a per'ipheral filtering joint.

Figf-2 showsv a dish-of the same type provided with a. filtering disk..'

v Fig. 3 showsa dish w'itl'ra metal cover. Figs. 4 to 7 illustrate various devices applicable to metalzboxesu Fig. 8 is avertical section of a dish provided with a closing ring made of an elastic material; -Fig. 9 is-a vertical section of a preserving can provided with.

two covers, the-inner one-having a' restricted area. Fig; 10 is a vertical section of a'can in which the filtering material .is held'by means of a metal cup. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the cover of said can;.the lug used I in said constructionbeing bent upon the "cover. Fig. 12 is a detail ofa small metallic I plate- Figs."1-3 and 14 areviews similar to a construction, Fig: 13 being a section taken approximately along the line AA, Fig. 14.

In order to carry out, the novel method of sterilization, devices of the following Figs. 10 and 11, respectively, of a modified if necessary. In order-to prevent the creatypes which are given by. way of example only can be employed. In receptacles other than metal boxes or cans,- for example glasses, china dishes and the like, the filtering joint can be constituted by a ring or annular-washer a (Fig. 1) of cotton, wad- J ding, felt, etc., or, a sheet or'film of cellulose I "or any other non-hydrophile' hydroscopicmaterialhaving similar air filtering proper-' ties, said-material being permeable to gases and steam insoluble and incapable of being disintegrated in liquids. The ring a 'is merely compressed slightly between the body 6 of the dish and the cover 0.. If it is formed of wadding or similar material, itv maybe arranged between two thin washers or films intended to retain the wadding and to facilitate manipulations of'this joint. It I can also, be entirely surrounded by a sheet 1 or film serving.- the same purpose as the washers referred toabove and also serving to isolate it fromthe product, but in this case the said enveloping sheet or film should be permeableto gases. The filte ring ringmay alsobe oiled'to a greater or less extent tion of an" appreciable difference of. 'pres-' sure-between the interior of the receptacle.

and'the exterior during sterilization, due to the compressionof the joint, to the expan' sion of the product and so forth, the lid 0 may be provided at'the center of the knob e with a hole f obturated by a filtering plug g,

i -which is but slightly compressed during the inside :thereceptacle.

sterilization and after the sterilization has been efl'ected the hole may be tightly closed.

The filtering joint may also be in the form of a solid disk 'as.s how n. at a in Fig. 2'. This disk can also be inclosed between two "sheets or films-permeable to gases.

Fig. 3 showsafiltering joint formed by a disk (1 applied to a glassrecept'acle b closed by a metal. lid it held byqa seamed ring i. In this case, the lid "I1, can be provided with capillary holes is. in order'to avoid the formation of any excess pressure In order to obtain, when desirable, atomplete and definitiveobturationof the recepvtacl, for-the purpose of avoiding-any inflow of'air after sterilizing, one may proceed as follows: 'In the case offreceptacles .or china' dishes having'a china or glass lid, the filter- King joint a.- (Figfl8) being compressed as required, the edges of the receptacle body and ,the lid which compress. the filtering j oint maybe'surrounded by a very thin ring t ofa-resilientmaterial such as rubber; or

7 by means of'a layer of a substance such as parafiinwhich may be .fused,.when the re.-

.ceptacle. is. still hot, between-the usual metallic ringand the receptacle wall. v j 7 In thecaseof receptacles having a metal- ,lic lid, the holes formed in' the lid may be v:closed by means of a layer of varnish,

by means of the following device. of the heads or in the body of thebox ;0 (Fig. .7 a hole is formed in .which there is fixed solder. v

parafiimand the like. The varnish or other I substance is preferably applied at -a teIn--- thevarnish or other product usedf In metal cans or boxes, the joints hitherto perature sufiiciently high to destroy the i germs existing on the surfaces, which action may be. aided by the special composition of rovided are 're laced in accordancewith the present invention, by a filtering joint of the type described, at leastupon one of its heads (the lid).

7' (Fig. 4:) designates the usual lid and a I the filtering joint. This joint is held'without compression in the beading formed in the seaming operation, after sterilization the seaming can be completed bypassing the box beneath the seamingrollers again.

The metal box or can'may also'be closed similarly' to an ordinary box having a seamed or a soldered lid, but in this case the .lid (Fig. 5) is provided with capillary orifices Z. A filtering disk af is placed upon this lid'and held in place by a supplementary lid m. The edge of this second lid can be waved or corrugated as shown in the drawing, in such a m-anner that it canbe fixed in place merely by pressure. After sterilization, this second lid can be seamed to insurea mentary lid may be formed of. exceedingly.

thin metal because ithas no other purpose to serve than to support the filteringdisk a Itis perforated with holes 11. and in the principal upper lid, one or more holes 0 are formed. After sterilization and when the 'box is cold these holes can be blocked by means of solder The method is also applicable' to the usual metal boxes 'or cans I' In one a small tube 9 proyided with perforations r. v in its portion located inside the box. Atits inner end this tube is provided with a tin cap 8 which'compresses a filtering disk (1 surrounding-the les 1', between itself and tion has been effected the outer orifice of the-tube q can be obstructed by a bead of According to the with capillary holes n is not of a sufiicient construction shown in Flg. 9, thesupplementary lidmperforated the inner face of the wall 72. After sterilizadianfeter to beseamed; upon the .edge of the can, but' ha's a. restricted diameter and is fixed upon the usual lid j provided with holes 0. The. lid 7' may for instance be provided with an'inner central boss 7' and the supplementary lid m may 'be in the form of acap provided with a corrugated edge which engages resiliently the boss j lwhe'reby the cap 'm is held rigidly in place. The gap e tween the cap m and the boss 7' of the'lid j,

m'may also be fixed by other means.

is interposed the filtering material a. To

4 close completely the holes 0, a thin andresilient disk u, forinstance a' rubber disk may be arranged inside the boss 1' said disk having a diameter slightly greater than the inner diameter of the boss,'so "that it can extend'over the Whole outer surface of the i boss and stop the holes 0. The resilient disk u may be placed before sterilizing-inasmuch as it permits the vapors to escape outwardly "during the operation. It will is to be obtained by -means of solder, great difiiculties are met in practice W en the filtering material is in direct contact with the edges of the orifices to be blocked. To remove said difliculties a' metal plate is arranged beneath the holes so that the edges I ,thereof are separated from the fi lterin'g'mato 12 may be adopted. In this case, the holes a; to be obturated are provided in the lid terial. The arrangement shown in. Figs; 10

itself 'y' of the can. Near the holes, the lid has a slot y through which extends a tin 1 the lid, at the side remote band or lug 2 which is bent i Fig; 11) upon rom the holes on. The lug a carries at'its lower end a cup s supporting the-filtering material at. For

instance'thecup 8 may be provided Witha slotsimilar to the slot y into which the end of the. lugs is engaged and secured" by being bent over or soldered. The lug a has,

' is placed upon thecupeby being threaded- 50. over the pointed end o'fthe lug z and the difficulty is met.

a little above the cup 8 a'horizontal notch or slot 2 and a small metal plate '3 provided 'with a central slot' 4 (Fig. 12) maybe slid over said lug. I

'For usingthe device, the filtering material plate 3 is slid upon the lug and displaced laterally so as to engage into the notch 2 of the lug By this means, the filtering means is held by theplatewhich is itself prevented from sliding along the lug. The lug 1s then engaged through the slot 3 of the 11d 3' and its upper end is bent over said lid (Fig. 11) so that the filteringimaterial is'held against the under. face of the lid. "The plate 3 is then below the holes 00 and when the-holes are t5 be obturated by means of solder, no

same time, to secure the end o'f the lug 2 upon the lid. The lid, together with the cup 8 and the filtering material, the whole being held together bythe lug 2 form a self The solder acts at the.

contained device which lnaybe easily ma nipulated. *Accordin'g to the "1 constructlon shown m Figs13fand 14, the tin lug or band 5 ex-. Q

tends only on a very .small length above the slot 3 provided in the lid j o'f'the can; and is heldin said slot by being bent over the'edge the'reofi The lid has two-rows, of perfora tions 5v. .Thelug 5 has its lower'en'd be'nt' twice under thelid soas to extend below,

the holes w. The cup-s in which the'filter-i" ing materialis jcarrled is provided in -.the

cutting out operation,"with four extensions 'or' lugs 6 which are bent over the filtering material a so that the same is hel'l'securely' in place and-the manipulations are facilitated. The extensions 6 bear against the 'lowerface of the ."lip and an 'intervalis thereby left between the edge of thecupand the 'lip for the passage of the gases.

'The cup is'secured'to the lid by meansofsolder. In this case also, no difficulty isi'met in stopping the holes. :1; by means of solder,

owing" to the bent endof the lug 5 which separates the lid. of theifiltering material."

The cups, ma'yf'have a more or less deep 'form, according-to the nature of the/filter ing material. 'Itwill-beunderstood that the sterilization: process described in the case" '95 of' metal boxes or of, receptacles with 'metal lids renders it possiblefto employ thinner metal-than that of whichv such'boxes or'the like have hitherto been constructed, because 1 they are never sub ected "to high pressures during sterilization. I Y

'In. order to. carry out the sterilization.

process with any of these types of receptacles, it is only necessary to ilfiQGjhG'IG-i f gester ,con-' ceptacle thus prepared in a taining air or steam at thesteril-ization tem perature .The air or steam" can pass through the filtering joint and come directly lized. At the same time the gases or vapors liberated inside the receptacle are able to espressure existing inside the digester. As

into. contactwith the product to be steri-,.

11'o cape therefrom in such a manner. that the pressure inside the receptacle-1s equal to thcsoon as the sterilization has been carried out;

the receptacles can be left inside the digester and an mert' gas under pressure, such as ni-- trogen can be introduced into the digester. Or the'receptacles can be Introduced, before they have cooled into a chamber to which the said inert gas is supplied. On cooling,

this gas will enter the box through the filtering oint. The employment of inert gas can be dispensed with and atmospheric air can be allowed to reenter the box throu h I the joint which thereby filters the air. t

lizati on', .the closure of the receptacle can be rendered absolutel hermetic by seam ng or'soldering, as-alrea y explained.

' Having now described my nvention, what ,125 any convenient point of time after the sterie h I claim as' -new and desire secure by; Letters Patent isz 4 v e, -1. A receptacle for-preserves: comprising a body, ape'rfoi-ated metal lid secured to the 'body,'a layer of gas filtering material, a thin perforated metal plate adapted to apply the layer of filtering material' againstthe mpurpose set forth.

, 2. A receptaclefor preserves comprising a body, a perforated metal lid secured to the bodyfa layer of gas filtering material hav ner'face of the lid, and means for fixing the -metal plateft'o'the lid, s0'I as to inclose be- I tween them the said layer. of filtering material, substantially. as described and for the ing a smaller vsurface than the cross section of the receptacle, a thin the same surface as that of the layer of filmetal plate having tering material and adapted to apply said layer against the inner face of thejlid, and means-for fixing the metal plate-to the lid so as to press between them the said'layer-of @filtering material, substantially as described and'for the purpose set'forth.

, 3. A receptacle for preserves comprising a body,-a perforated metal lid secured to the body, a layerof gas filteringmateriaha thin perforated'metal plate adapted to apply the layer of filtering material against the inner face 'of the lid, a small metal plate arrangedsmall distance therefrom and above the layer of filtering material to facilitate the 'obturation of the perforated part by means of solder and means for fixing the perforated scribed and for the purpose set forth.

beneath. the perforated part of the lid at a '35 .In'etal plate to the lid, substantially as de- I 4/ A receptacle for preserves comprising a I body, a layer of gas filtering material having a. smaller surface than the cross section of the receptacle, a thin metal plate having the same surface as that of the layer of fil-- body, aperfo'rated metal lid secured, to the tering material and adapted to apply said layer against thefinner surface of the lid, a smallmetalplate, means for maintaining said small'plate'benea th the perforated part of the lid atJa small distance therefrom and above the layer of filtering material, and means for fixing the thin metal plate to the .lid soas to press between them the said *layer of filtering material, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.- 5

In testimony whereof I. have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. L

. CHARLES- Witne'sses:

ANTOINE LAVOIE,

HANSON G. Coxn. 

